Tony Winner Jerry Mitchell to Helm But I’m a Cheerleader Workshop in London

Get out the pom-poms! Kinky Boots Tony winner Jerry Mitchell is directing a workshop of But I’m a Cheerleader in London on December 6. Based on the cult 1999 coming of-age-comedy, the musical adaptation (which premiered at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2005) features a book and lyrics by Bill Augustin and music by Andrew Abrams.

The show tells the story of Megan, an all-American high school cheerleader who seems to have it all; she’s popular, pretty, intelligent, has a football player boyfriend and lives the perfect high school life. However, her friends and family suspect Megan is a lesbian, and after staging an intervention, send her packing to the "True Directions" rehabilitation camp to put her on the straight and narrow. Under the strict tutelage of headmistress Mary Brown, Megan meets Graham, a sexy tomboy who shows her exactly what her true direction is. 

The London reading of the show will feature three-time Olivier Award nominee Hannah Waddingham, Bronte Barbe, Maria Coyne, Andy Conaghan, Emma Bateman, Adrian Hansel, Shaun Rennie, Philip Labey, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Ian Knauer, Nicolas Colicos, Michael O’Connor, Helen Walsh, Jamie Ward, Gary Wood, Ricky Schroeder, Belinda Wollaston, Charlotte Harwood, Michelle Francis, Jamie Muscato and Caroline Rodgers.

The 1999 film had a story by Jamie Babbit, a screenplay by Brian Wayne Peterson and was directed by Babbit. The movie starred Clea DuVall, Natasha Lyonne, Cathy Moriarty, Michelle Williams and RuPaul.